Portable light towers have been used extensively for lighting of a wide range of locations including construction sites, oil and gas drilling sites, stadiums, mines, military zones and a large number of other locations and applications.
In cases where these systems are operated in remote locations, there are two primary concerns associated with the effective deployment and operation of such equipment including a) the delivered cost of fuel and b) the reliability of the fuel supply chain. That is, delivering fuel to a remote location substantially increases the cost of fuel often by several multiples as compared to deployment of the same equipment in a non-remote setting. As can be appreciated, the increase in delivery costs is due to increased equipment and personnel costs required to transport and deliver fuel to locations where it takes time and specialized equipment to get it to the remote location. Similarly, reliability of the supply chain to various locations such as military zones, remote drilling sites and mines can result in direct and indirect costs resulting from the inability and/or time to physically deliver fuel to a location to run equipment at the site.
Historically, light towers have been powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs) that consume fuel to generate the electricity required to power the lights. Typically, these engine-powered light towers, in addition to providing nighttime lighting, may also be used to generate auxiliary power for other equipment at an off-grid location. In many of these systems, ICE-powered light towers are manually operated, requiring an operator to turn the system on and off as desired. In addition, with certain systems an operator will have to monitor and supply fuel, perform regular oil changes as well as other maintenance that will be required due to the high run times of the engine. Generally, the high engine run times are simply accepted in the industry as the cost of doing business in a remote location because there is no alternative.
The typical portable light tower of the prior art will include a trailer and/or frame for supporting an ICE and its associated fuel tank and one or more light standards that pivot with respect to the trailer for elevating one or more lighting fixtures above the ground. In the past, various types of incandescent bulbs have been the predominant type of bulb used in such light towers.
As is known, in addition to the increased costs associated with operating equipment at a remote location, there are several other drawbacks with these lighting systems. These include:                noisy operation at night;        high fuel consumption;        inability to operate due to fuel shortages or delays;        impact of weather on refueling schedules in remote or high latitude locations;        high carbon footprint;        toxic emissions;        no controller, instead having switches, toggles and buttons;        engine service requirements particularly resulting from the high run time hours and/or operation in cold climates;        increased maintenance costs due to operation in a remote location;        inefficient operation particularly during cold weather where ICEs may need to be run during daylight hours to maintain ICE warmth to ensure nighttime reliability; and        high personnel costs due to the complexity of system set-up and the time required for manual operation and/or operator supervision.        
In response to the fuel consumption, fuel costs and emissions drawbacks, attempts have been made to reduce the carbon footprint and fuel consumption of mobile lighting systems by employing the use of solar and/or wind power. However, while some localized savings can be achieved by systems incorporating secondary power sources, the efficiency and/or reliability of these secondary sources of power can simply create other operational problems. Moreover, on a practical scale such systems are generally unable to provide sufficient power to power metal halide light bulbs that are commonly used in traditional ICE powered mobile lighting systems.
More recently, developments in light emitting diode (LED) lights and improvements in the efficiency of wind and light mining technologies have enabled more widespread and economic use of such secondary or renewable power sources for the operation of light towers. More specifically, LED lights are available that can produce similar light, measured in lumens and/or light throw that consume a fraction of the energy that an incandescent bulb would consume. That is, an LED light will typically require 70-85% less energy than an equivalent incandescent bulb. However, while LED's reduce energy draw, the operator will typically only realize an approximate 30-40% reduction in fuel cost if LED lights are simply installed on a standard light tower in place of metal halide bulbs because ICE operation remains inefficient relative to the energy requirements of the bulbs and with respect to the overall management of energy at a remote site.
This can be illustrated by way of a typical operating example. In a typical scenario where there is a requirement for a 12 hour night time light energy draw, an ICE powering the LEDs will remain on during the 12 hour nighttime period. In a lighting system where incandescent bulbs have been replaced with LED lights, it is known that only about a 30% savings in fuel consumption is seen as a result of the reduced power load due to the minimum threshold of fuel required to idle the ICE. That is, the savings in fuel are not linear to the power reduction resulting from the use of the LEDs. Additionally, the ICE runtime in this example has not been reduced at all and therefore there is no maintenance or wear and tear reduction or personnel costs associated with running an LED light tower.
Importantly, there continue to be improvements in solar cell efficiencies and wind turbine technologies allowing for more efficient recovery of these renewable energy sources on a reasonable cost basis. That is, on a capital cost basis, the unit power cost from solar and wind sources have improved significantly.
As a result, the industry has seen the development of LED light towers outfitted with solar panels or wind turbines that, in certain circumstances depending on location, available solar-light or wind, length of draw during nighttime, etc., can be self-sufficient as a lighting system only. Unfortunately there are number of drawbacks with these systems that make these systems unreliable or unusable in a number of operational situations, and particularly in remote, harsh and cold climates.
For example, the length of days in each season is important in both high and low latitude climates to be able to operate lighting systems using renewable energy. That is, in climates along the equator, for half the year there is often cloud cover due to the rainy seasons, or equipment may be located in wet or rainforest environments. Similarly, at higher latitudes, at times of the year with short days (i.e. winter), there is not enough time during the day to generate energy (at a reasonable cost and footprint) using solar powered lighting systems for the correspondingly longer nights when the energy is drawn as well as there being limits on the maximum energy that can be stored in an economically sized battery bank. Further still, because these are mobile lighting systems that must be transported to remote sites, often along very rough roads, there are size restrictions for all components that do not enable operators to simply increase the size of renewable energy collection equipment. That is, there is limited surface area available on the structure for solar panels which thereby limits the amount of solar power that can be collected in a given time period. As such, solar systems are generally not suitable for climates where the ratio of light power generating hours to night-time energy drawing hours is not favorable or where during certain times of the year such as a rainy season there is limited good quality solar light. Similarly, the reliability of wind power in many locations is not sufficient to enable the long term use of this energy source.
Furthermore, with regards to solar power, local weather conditions may not be favorable for considerable time periods, as there may be considerable cloud cover and/or precipitation at times. In cold climates, large amounts of snow may accumulate on the surface of the solar panels, preventing or reducing the amount of sun's rays that reach the solar panel. Geographic features at a particular location may also not be favorable. That is, when there is no wind, cloud cover and/or geographic features such as trees or hills can prevent or greatly reduce power generation when daytime battery bank charging must occur.
This is of particular importance on drilling leases in northern and mountainous areas or climates. For example, if a drilling lease is located on the north facing slope of a hill or mountain, in a high northern latitude there may be no direct sunlight to the location. Another example is drilling leases that are cut out in dense forest areas where particularly in the winter months the days are not only short, but the sun's trajectory along the horizon may also prevent direct sunlight from piercing the forest to the base of the light system where the solar panels are located.
As drilling equipment will typically be moved from site to site in these remote locations, the operator will often have to choose between incurring higher costs to purchase both an ICE system and a solar system (to have the ability to utilize solar when available but have the ICE as a reliable backup) or have a single ICE system reliable in all operations (but then have no ability to capture renewable power when available).
Further, in many cases there is a desire for lighting systems to also provide auxiliary power. However, current solar systems have no ability to provide power for the operation of ancillary equipment. That is, even during long sunny summer days, due in part to the limited available space for solar panels on a mobile system, a light tower may only be able to absorb enough energy on a given day to supply the lighting for that night thus leaving little to no extra energy to power ancillary equipment. Thus, as light towers traditionally have the dual purpose of supplying power to the lighting fixture as well as supplying power and/or backup power to ancillary equipment, a significant drawback of solar and wind powered light towers is that they are limited to only lighting and only in certain geographic locations and only in certain environmental conditions. This drawback eliminates the ability of an operator to reduce their carbon footprint, because in order to do so they would have to sacrifice functionality.
As noted above, specifically in harsh, remote and/or cold environments, solar and/or wind systems have not been capable of reliably supplying lighting systems for these environments. Further still, in the harsh environment of northern latitudes (e.g. northern Canada or Alaska), particularly during the winter season with reduced daylight hours, another operational issue is that such systems are often affected by reduced battery performance due to the cold, snow cover of solar panels and/or the risk of moving parts of a wind turbine (for example) becoming frozen. Use of stored power for heating devices within the system that may allow such systems to operate reliably in cold climates will almost always exceed the available power from renewable sources alone.
Another factor affecting the implementation of solar and/or wind-powered systems is the economics of utilizing new technology to reduce an operator's carbon footprint. While an operator may wish to reduce their carbon footprint, the cost of doing so in a meaningful way is generally prohibitive. For example, with current technology, an operator would have to invest in the purchase of both an ICE system in order to run ancillary equipment and/or to ensure the system will run reliably in the winter as well as a solar/wind system to try and reduce fuel cost and carbon footprint.
Further still, operators desire portable light tower systems that are compact to transport as well as simple and quick to set up and take down, requiring minimal knowledge, training and time on the part of the operator. Wind turbines are typically very strong and sturdy to withstand high winds. As such, wind turbines are generally not easily transportable, and they can be difficult and time-consuming to set-up and take down. An operator often has to perform many time-consuming steps to set up and take down a wind turbine. Harsh weather conditions including strong winds, cold temperatures and rain/snowfall, can make it more difficult and dangerous to handle and manipulate a wind turbine.
Further still, cold weather adversely affects the starting of an ICE system, particularly a diesel engine. As diesel engines heat a fuel/air mixture by compression, it becomes increasingly difficult to achieve ignition temperature as ambient temperatures fall. Furthermore, diesel fuels often gel at cold temperatures, and lubricating oils become more viscous and can impede rather than lubricate moving parts. As such, ICE systems can become virtually unstartable when temperatures fall much below freezing, which is why they are often kept idling continuously in cold weather. As can be appreciated, continuously idling an engine is not fuel-efficient as it continually requires fuel, resulting in a higher carbon footprint and increased toxic emissions, as well as increased sound pollution.
Cold temperatures can also adversely affect battery banks by decreasing the time period a battery can hold its charge and shortening the lifespan of the batteries. A desired operating temperature for a lead acid battery is generally 25° C. to 40° C., and for a lithium ion battery is 0° C. to 40° C. At −15° C., a typical deep-cycle absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery can lose 30-50% or more of its charge. This is important to note because when solar may already be limited due to solar panel footprint or environmental conditions, losses in the overall systems due to the cold effect on batteries (or other losses such as line losses, etc.) can void the benefit gained by solar input.
As a result, there has been a need to develop mobile lighting systems that overcome many of the above problems and particularly that enable the deployment of light towers in more remote and/or higher latitude locations with increased reliability, reduced ICE run time, lower fuel consumption without sacrificing light at the job site, reduced human interaction, reduced carbon footprint, improved overall reliability and lower ongoing costs. More specifically, there has been a need for lighting systems that require less operator involvement, that utilize an intelligent control system (ICS) that allows the portable lighting system to operate and manage energy in a way that reduces fuel in better relation to the reduced draw of the LED's. Additionally, there is a need for a portable lighting system with an ICS that utilizes renewables while preventing system losses what would otherwise void the value of solar and or wind inputs for harsh, remote and/or high/low latitude environments.
Further still, there has been a need for systems that can utilize a combination of renewable energy sources on a primary basis, whenever available to power the lighting and/or heating system that is combined with fuel combustion systems for generating power that is used on a supplementary basis or on demand to power both the lighting/heating system as well as ancillary equipment. Importantly, such systems would provide benefits that include:                less ICE run time;        less need for/dependence on personnel, and/or environmental conditions for fuel resupply;        less need for/dependence on personnel as well as engine service/maintenance;        lower fuel cost due to an IEMS and ICS;        lower fuel costs due to efficient use of renewables;        lower fuel cost resulting from alternative heating systems;        lower personnel costs due to ICS functions, coding's, algorithms and feedback processes;        reduced carbon footprint due to maximizing the value of renewables and LED's thereby reducing fuel consumption;        extended life of the system due to less engine runtime which results in reduced wear and tear and ongoing operational costs;        extended operational reliability by intelligently selecting the resource input on an automated basis and/or selecting the power source based on loading needs;        ease of set up and take down of the system;        less personnel cost due to ICS feedback/communication to operator (e.g. rather than “unfocused & broad supervision” being “pushed” to the system by a human, the system will “pull” “focused & specific intervention” only when needed);        extended life of old used light towers through retrofitting with new equipment; and        quieter or silent night lighting operation through efficient battery bank charging during the day enabling silent running at night.        
Further still, there has been a need for a method of running an ICE less frequently while still meeting total annual light production requirements when compared to standard non-solar, non-hybrid MH light towers. More specifically, there is a need for a method for more efficient charging and/or pulsing power from an ICE into a storage facility, such as a battery bank, allowing the ICE to charge the battery bank, store the energy and deliver it to the load or lights, as needed.
Further, there is a need for a system with various automated features, including user interface features that reduce the level of personnel involvement with the system. By way of example, in prior art systems, operators are required to frequently monitor prior art light towers, both standard and solar. As such, manpower is required for the operation of the prior art systems in a way that is bulky, inefficient and leaves room for human error that can result in system failures. For example, various prior art systems require the operator to constantly check for fuel to ensure the ICE will not shut down at an unscheduled time. In another example, prior art systems may require that the operator remember to turn the lights and/or ICE on and off at intervals throughout the day, which if forgotten wastes fuel and ICE run time. In another example, various prior art solar towers may require the operator to manually set the timing of the lights-on schedule by timers which may also have to be adjusted to the changing schedule of sunrise and sunset in certain regions.
Thus, there has been a need for a system having an intelligent user interface that, rather than requiring operators to “push” volumes of manpower to the system, the system would “pull” manpower only when needed, in a specific and focused manner, thereby limiting personnel time and cost. Advantageously, this will reduce various problems including power loss due to running out of fuel and adapting the lighting schedule.
A review of the prior art indicates that past systems have been developed that provide particular functions but that do not provide systems enabling effective operation in remote, higher latitude and/or harsher climates. For example US2012/0206087A1; US2012/0201016A1; US2010/0232148A1; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,988,320 are examples of solar-powered lights and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,805,462B1; 5,806,963 are examples of traditional ICE towers. U.S. Pat. No. 8,350,482; US 2010/0220467; and US 2009/0268441 are examples of non-portable hybrid lighting devices that utilize both solar and wind energy. U.S. Pat. No. 7,988,320, US 2010/0236160 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,371,074 teach wind masts that can be lowered to the ground. U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,941; US 2012/0301755 and US 2006/0272605 teach systems for heating engines and/or batteries.